** New Free Update to LightWave Announced **
 

For those that haven't already seen this just posted by Chuck Baker over at the Lightwave Yahoo forums:

-----------------------------------------------------------

NewTek is pleased to announce the release of LightWave 3D® [7.5b], a free update to registered owners of LightWave 3D [7.5]. In this update you'll find major enhancements to LightWave®'s already robust script language, powerful new surface blending tools, support for DV devices as a preview display, and a network renderer for Linux. You may download the update from NewTek's web site at http://www.newtek.com.

For the complete announcement, see:

http://www.newtek.com/news/releases/03-06-03a.html

For those that are interested here's a summary of the new stuff that's been added (taken from the Readme file)


LightWave 7.5b Readme
March 6, 2003

Summary of new features:

New plugin in Plugins/Utility - dvview.p: DV View provides a new view option on the Render Options panel, preview render out of a firewire port to a DV device.


New plugin in the Plugins/Animate folder - Splinamate.p: Animate an object in Layout with a spline control. Great for hoses, tentacles, etc. SplineControl does not have a button on the interface by default - you can add the button using the Edit Menus option under the Layout button.

To use Splinecontrol:

- Select the object.

- Activate under deformations, SplineControl.

- Choose how many 'nodes' you want (you can change this later)

- Use the "SplineControl" button you added on the interface to activate and move the nodes around.

- Options include Stretch or not to stretch, and autokey enable for setting keyframes for the moved nodes.


New plugin in the Plugins/Utility folder - Flare2Alpha.p: now a plugin instead of an lscript - greatly improves speed.


New option on Surface Editor Shader Tab - SurfMixer: Shader that allows the blending of two existing surfaces. Blending can be controlled with keyframe envelopes and texture maps.


ScreamerNet for Linux - a render node for use on Linux OS systems. Installation and operation is the same as on other platforms.


New Gradient mode, "Surface Thickness", useful for control of translucency and other elements for which you need to simulate subsurface characteristics.


LScript 2.6. -- see the release notes at:

http://www.newtek.com/products/light...per/lscript2.6

WARNING ! SAVE ALL YOUR CONTENT ! BEFORE INSTALL

lost all presets :mad:
lost all my model plugins :mad:
gemstone tool does not work and many others (execute error)
all sample scene files lost
all sdk lost


i think this update needs a update

bga

I think this must be just your setup? I've checked and everything seems to be working OK for me.

- Modelleer plugs are still there (although Eki's ModPak is giving some LScript errors now)
- Gemstone tool works OK
- Modeller Prefs are all still as they were.
- Presets are all still there.
- SDK is still in the right place and present and correct.


It might be a stupid question, but did you install the update into the correct folder? There's been a lot of discussion on the Yahoo forums with people that have done the same thing.

(Lightwave 7.0 on PC should have installed to C:\Lightwave_3D_7.0 but the 7.5b update defaults to C:\Lightwave)

lol yes it was the right folder :D


i have installed again ...from 7.0b up to 7.5b !
now presets, scene files , plugins ...still there ....

gemstone working now ..i dont know why ...
mathplot.p still not working ...i replaced the plugin with the oldone

btw i lost all my presets and all plugins (that not comes with LW)
!!deleted !! :mad:

Is that a StrongBad reference? Too funny... :)

Hmm. Yes it seems that there are a variety of problems people are experiencing with the 7.5b upgrade. The only problem is - none of them seem to be consistent.

I've heard complaints of lost presets, corrupted key files, lost menu layouts, lost plugins...

The list seems to go on. Still, you always make a backup before upgrading your software ... don't you? :D

The question seems to be..If there are this many problems, are the few enhancements worth the hours of aggrevation? Someone tell me before I'm hunting for plug-ins, lost key files and replacing my prefs....
Ken:confused:

Well, you could install LW7 into another folder then upgrade that to 7.5 -> 7.5b. At least that way you'll have both versions to play with (just remember to back up your configs)...

still working on my config files :rolleyes:
here is a screenshot after update install
Layout Plugins